Before Birch Bayh became a “modern day Founding Father” in the U.S. Senate, he served in the Indiana General Assembly. But there’s been virtually nothing written about his four terms there, until now.
Reading Time: 8 minutes
Julia Nelson never set out to be the first woman elected to the Indiana General Assembly. She was added to the ballot just days before the 1920 election, beginning an unbroken streak of Hoosier women legislators.
Reading Time: 6 minutes
Back in October of 2013, Niki Kelly wrote an article for the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette analyzing the number of state legislators who first came into the General Assembly by way of a partisan caucus, rather than through a general election. Five years later, I’ve pulled more data together to re-look at this issue.
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Wins in November would set up Pat Bauer to become the first legislator to serve for 50 years, and Frank Mrvan or Joe Zakas to become the longest-serving State Senators in history.
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Since 1970, there have only been 11 special sessions. 9 were to finish state budget process.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Part 3 of a three-part series explores the establishment of the modern version of the Pro Tem after Phil Gutman’s “Take Back the Senate” campaign.
Reading Time: 6 minutes
Second in a three part series: One of the most infamous events in State House history sets the stage for the State Senate’s modern power structure.
Reading Time: 5 minutes
It took decades to get done, but you can now buy beer on Sunday in Indiana. Still, that debate didn’t come close to matching the intensity of another Sunday activity that the General Assembly debated at the turn of the 20th century.
Reading Time: 7 minutes
With Sunday sales of alcohol on the verge of being legal in Indiana, some reports claim that the ban dates back to the repeal of prohibition in 1933. Contrary to popular belief, though, it isn’t just an anachronistic holdover from the prohibition era, but actually dates back to the General Assembly’s first session.
Reading Time: 4 minutes
